January 30, 2009

I am off to Florida for job related training. I will be attempting to check my email every evening after my training is done. If you have any questions about either swaps - please do not hesitate to contact me and I will respond as quickly as possible! I hope to have some posts up of some of my projects I have worked on! This hasn't been much of CRAFT blog lately!!!! See you soon!

January 28, 2009

I have a couple more people interested in the AB bag. If you will fill out this form, I will give everyone a chance who is interested to sign up by NOON on THURSDAY and then I am going to close it out again. Thanks! I hope to get even numbers so we can swap partners and you can get to know your partners! Fill the form out HERE!

January 27, 2009

I GOT ENOUGH VOLUNTEERS!! THANKS! I HAVE HAD ONE OR TWO PEOPLE MENTION A POSSIBLE INTEREST IN JOINING THE AMY BUTLER BAG SWAP. IF INTERESTED, LET ME KNOW BY WEDNESDAY EVENING. IF THERE ARE ENOUGH TO MATCH UP, I DON'T MIND ADDING A FEW PEOPLE! THANKS!

I just had two people flake on me for my swaps. One for the Amy Butler Bag and another for the scraps. Is anyone willing to join or is anyone willing to fill their spots??? I am leaving for job related training and need to take care of this before I leave.

I am so sorry to their partners for this slight delay, but I am on my way to finding you someone. I have to ask - if any of you are considering on backing out - YOU MUST TELL ME NOW. I cannot frantically search for partners every day!!

For the Amy Butler Bag - I really cannot have anymore people drop out. Take your time making the bag and don't worry about it being PERFECT!! If we need to push back our deadline as it approaches, we can. I am TOTALLY flexible, but I just can't have anyone else leave, or we are going to have a real problem.

Thanks for understanding. Anyone interested in helping me out or my participants out?? If not - I will take the ladies on if need be!!

OK - We the People Mini Swap is CLOSED!!! I will be working on emailing partners later today and hope to have everyone swapped!!! Thanks for the great response and this is the first time I am meeting many of you! Exciting!!!

I have a had a request for a friend to join the Amy Butler Weekender bag swap. I just need one more person. Anyone interested in joining us, so she can have a partner?????? I would love to give her a partner. PLEASE?????

If you are interested - fill the form out under that swap post!! Thanks!

January 24, 2009

I haven't posted some of my items lately and will be posting more over the next two days. First, I need to show you what I spent my Christmas $ on/Christmas Gifts:

I got the first 4 books with Christmas $, I won Alicia Paulson's book in a blog giveaway (yahoo!!!), and the last two were gifts from my husband. Awesome Christmas huh?

The first book is still with Christmas money and the other 5 I got at used book stores here in town for a few bucks a piece. Who doesn't love a good book store????

On the WTP 4 swap, I have picked out the material. It may look crazy now, but I promise you it will look great together. If you knew my partner for the swap, you would definitely say she would love this. She is bright and bubbly, so I think it will fit her perfectly!!

COMING SOON:

Three aprons I am finishing up and 16 hearts I am almost done with for a swap!! I am going out of town next weekend and training for 9 days, so I have to get all my swaps finished and mailed before I can leave!!

I need one more person to sign up and then I can swap partners. That way you can get to know your partner if you would like to! Anyone interested in signing up??? Use the form in the post below if you would like to sign up!!!

January 18, 2009

January 16, 2009

We The People 4 is closing tomorrow at midnight. Make sure you sign up if you want to try out the weekender bag. Sign up now!! We have a small group - but I think that will really help us as a group. Complete your form today if you would like to join!!!

1. You will make a Amy Butler Weekender bag for a partner assigned to you. You will be given your partner's email address in the form so you can talk with your partner in case you need some guidance during the project.

2. I will be setting something up on my blog (still ironing out the details!!) where you can leave questions, suggestions or frustrations during this project. I have heard this bag is easy to make but there can be moments of frustration. SO - we will be a bit of support group to each other to help us make this bag!

3. I will also be posting some links to people who have made the bags and discuss the bag on their blogs, in case you are wanting further blogs to research the bag on.

4. You must make the bag and also include one yard of fabric and some type of trip recommendation. After all, if we are making this bag, don't we want to take it somewhere and show it off???? Your recommendations can be a location you have been to before, a simple idea for a weekend trip (ex: check into a bed and breakfast and take a picnic somewhere) or include some travel pamphlets for some neat areas around where you live!!

5. When you are ready to mail the package to your partner, you must use the delivery confirmation option at your local post office. This should only cost you 75 cents. Then email me the confirmation number. With this being such a big swap item, I want to make sure everyone gets a bag.

6. IF something should occur that you can no longer participate, email me IMMEDIATELY. I will begin to work on an angel for your partner. IF notified quickly enough, this will not keep your from participating in our next swap!

7. SIGN UP DEADLINE: Saturday January 17thPARTNERS ASSIGNED: Sunday January 18thDEADLINE FOR PACKAGE TO BE MAILED: Saturday February 28thI want to give us enough time for problems or questions, so this swap will be a month and half (roughly) to give you time to find fabric and work on the bag.

Ready to learn a new pattern and make some great new friends? Sign up using this form!Pass the word around and let's get a lot of people to sign up. The more people participating means more people to help us through some of the difficult moments!!

January 13, 2009

It may seem that I have been vacant for awhile and I have been. I was out of work all last week due to Bronchitis and a sinus infection - at the same time!!! It was horrible. I am still catching up on a couple sewing projects that are due in the mail. I also begin school next week. Here is my new schedule:

Tuesday - 8:30am to 5:30pm - work

6pm to 9pm - school

Wednesday - 8:30am to 5:30pm - work

6pm to 9pm - school

Thursday - 8:30am to 1:30pm - work

2pm to 5pm - school

5:30pm to 7pm - work

Friday - 8:30 to 5:30pm - work

Saturday - 8:30 to 5:30pm - work

That leaves Sundays and Mondays to relax, sew and do school work. It is going to be a semester. My husband and I are also attempting to attend 3 yoga classes a week starting in a week or two. I am also trying to implement some cardio into my life and we are going to play racquetball on Sundays.

You can see why I am living the next several months by scheduling my entire life out. Otherwise, if I don't schedule exercise and time to sew - it won't happen. That also helps explain why I am being extremely selective about what swaps I join. I have to make sure I have time to complete the projects. I am really excited about February though. I go for training for my position at another of our sister properties - in FLORIDA. I have never been to FL, so I can now add that to my list of states visited!

Even though it seems I would be stressed out - I am really pumped about the classes I am taking this spring, I love my job, I am really excited about getting fit and healthy again and I am looking forward to sewing some really cute things this Spring. Plus, I am hoping to rekindle my love with crochet and maybe try to sneak a beginners knitting class. We will see what I say in two months - right????

January 9, 2009

That was neck and neck the whole way through. However, there must always be a winner and the next swap will be the AMY BUTLER WEEKENDER BAG. So, sign ups will begin today. I am working on the form now and the swap rules. Check back in about an hour for sign ups! I am very excited to be doing this project! I have wanted to do this one for so long!

January 8, 2009

OK - it appears the swap is going to be between Amy Butler's Weekender Bag and choosing a pattern from a book agreed upon by the group. I am going to put a new poll on the side of my blog and we will vote until tomorrow on these two items. Whoever is the winner at noon tomorrow will be the We The People 4 Swap item. Vote away. A little under 24 hours and we will be on our way to sign ups!!! Exciting. Vote as many times as you would like to help your item win!!!

It's that time again. I've had a long enough break - let's start the next round of voting. Let's start the new year off with a bang! Voting will start now and will stop Friday, January 9th. Let your voice be heard. The poll will be up in just a bit. Vote as many times as you like to help your choice win!!!

January 4, 2009

How things can change in a year!!! You can't see on the bottom of the baker's rack due to the bed being in the way, but I have fabric stored down there too. Sewing has taken over the spare bedroom. If you have links to your craft room, leave a link in the comments for me to check out your creative space!! Hopefully mine isn't too crowded for you!!! It seems there is always more to put in there!

January 3, 2009

While reflecting on the 2008 year and all the changes made in our life last year, I remembered how different my life was last year at this time. I had left my HORRIBLE job in November of 2007 and began searching for a new job. We were okay financially because my husband had his job. The next thing I knew - my husband came home saying his company was letting everyone go by February 1, 2008. My life stopped and I began to FREAK. Now both of us were going to be unemployed, I was going on horrible job interviews and praying I didn't have to take another horrible job, I was thinking I may have to stop my schooling and I began to hit myself in the head for not having a better savings account.

We ended up making it!! I got hired a couple weeks later at my current company where I was just promoted. My husband went from his company - who worked for another company as vendors - to the company he used to vendor for starting February 1! Things were tight during the year and things had to be cancelled and rearranged in our lives.

During all of this, I began this little craft blog - assuming mainly my family and friends could look in and see what sorry attempts I was making at sewing. To my surprise, I was decent at sewing and suddenly I began making friends on other blogs.

I am so thankful for all of you - my friends across the world - and for your talents and inspirational stories and crafts that you do every day! I know this year and the economy is starting off difficult for many like ours did last year. My encouragement to you is to say we will make it. While none of us enjoy the economy tanking and the threats of job loss daily - the crafting community is seeing a boost in people realizing "we can make stuff and they are items I like and that fit me!".

My grandpa passed away just a couple months ago in October and it was a difficult loss for myself and my mom. The thing I remember most about him is the incredible work shed he had and how he loved to work with wood. Then after numerous heart surgeries and health complications, he had to cut back on his craft and it became non-existent toward the end of his life. I want to spend every moment this year in my craft with the same passion and fulfillment as my grandpa did with his woodworking.

I wanted to end this post with photos of my craft room when I first started sewing last January. Tomorrow - I want to post photos of my room now. Not to say - Look at all I bought - but to celebrate the difficult moments in our household last year that led me to a fabulous hobby and lifelong friends!!! Happy 2009 and may your year be a time of inspiration and enjoyment in whatever craft you may enjoy! May you surround yourself with moments that bring you joy and happiness this year! Craft on, kids!!!!

January 1, 2009

I found the first swap I will be participating in (besides my own!!!) and wanted to pass the information around. Consider joining in. I think it is going to be fun and who doesn't love Amy Butler's fabrics?????? Head over to MommyHolly's now and sign up!

I decided to start off the new year with a different look on the blog. I am still working on a photo slide from Christmas. I hope to have it up by this weekend. I am also trying to wrap up a few last year projects. I am hoping to make a list of some items that I would like to sew for myself and friends in the next couple of weeks too. I want to participate in some swaps this year, but I think I want to take some time to sew for myself.

For Christmas I received several new craft books which I hope to list soon, but I want to share the best gift I received!! My husband gave me the gift of designing my own label to iron on to my projects!!! I used a wonderful designer and creator and I would recommend her to anyone. My friend introduced me to Jennifer's Jewels on etsy and I am so glad she did. You must check out her etsy shop JennifersJewels .

I wanted a pin up girl and my blog name - Itching 2 B Stitching on the label. Here is what she designed for me:

Aren't they great? I can't wait to use one. I will post about the sewing books I received for Christmas soon too. Happy New Year!!!